With Manchester United slipping to a fourth defeat of the season away to Bayern Munich earlier this week, there will be those asking questions of manager Erik ten Hag amid this dismal start to the campaign.
While the Dutchman already has credit in the bank having won the Carabao Cup last term, he will not want to follow a similar path to that of the club's previous permanent coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who lost his job back in November 2021 after enjoying initial steady progress at Old Trafford.
It is coming up to two years since the treble winner was shown the door by the United hierarchy following dire defeats against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford, with the club's form swiftly nosediving following respectable third and second-place finishes in the season's prior.
For the first time since his abrupt exit, the Norwegian hero has publicly opened up about his time in charge in an interview with The Athletic's Andy Mitten, offering an insight into a wide range of issues and details regarding his mixed tenure.
Days in charge
1068
Matches
168
Wins
92
Draws
35
Losses
41
Trophies
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
That wide-ranging discussion was particularly revealing with regard to those that the 50-year-old had been keen to sign when at the helm, only to ultimately be denied as rival clubs swiftly swooped in.
Among those that Solskjaer claimed to have wanted "badly" was current Real Madrid sensation, Jude Bellingham, with the Red Devils having seemingly come agonisingly close to signing the emerging icon.
Why didn't Man United sign Jude Bellingham?
As Solskjaer revealed, the all-action midfield had been one of his "top targets" back in 2020, with reports at the time having suggested that the Premier League giants had even made an offer of around £30m in order to sign the then-teenager from Birmingham City.
A club previously famed for snapping up the best British talent about – notably signing a teenage Wayne Rooney in 2004 from Everton – the Red Devils likely believed they could tempt young Bellingham to make the leap, amid a standout 2019/20 campaign that saw him score four goals in the Championship.
Despite having even been met by Sir Alex Ferguson after visiting United's training ground in March 2020 – as Ed Woodward and co put on the charm offensive – the 16-year-old had other ideas in mind, with a move to Germany his favoured option.
How much did Dortmund pay for Jude Bellingham?
In a summer in which Solskjaer and co forked out £40m for Donny van de Beek – who has since scored just twice in 60 games over the past three years – Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund were able to acquire Bellingham for just £25m, a figure that looks a total bargain in the present day.
The mature youngster had seemingly seen the benefits of joining a club that had nurtured the likes of Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, with there likely to have been question marks over how much game time he would have had at the Theatre of Dreams, despite his undoubted talent.
Instead, United have had to endure the much-maligned duo of Fred and Scott McTominay over recent years – a pairing dubbed "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane – while even the experienced partnership of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen now look like mere "short-term fixes to a long-term problem" in that department, as per The Athletic's Mark Critchley.
How much is Bellingham worth now?
With United's midfield looking "non-existent" at times this season – as per Solskjaer's former teammate, Gary Neville – it has only rubberstamped the frustration at having missed out on Bellingham, with the 20-year-old having gone from strength since leaving Birmingham behind.
The Stourbridge-born machine blossomed into the real heartbeat of Dortmund's midfield prior to his recent departure, scoring 24 goals and providing 25 assists in 124 games in all competitions during his three-year stint at Westfalenstadion.
The 6 foot 1 titan was particularly impressive last term after scoring 14 goals and contributing seven assists in all competitions, while also shining at the World Cup for his country, with Keane tipping him to become a "superstar" as he simply has "everything".
Fast forward just a few months on from Qatar and the "insane" talent – as hailed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano – is already an undoubted 'superstar' following his breathtaking start to life at Madrid, having joined the La Liga giants on an £88.5m deal over the summer.
Despite his relative youth, the 26-cap international – who was reportedly a target for Ten Hag heading into the recent window – has also become something of a talisman for Carlo Ancelotti's side, scoring six goals in just six games so far this term.
That rapid adaptation to life at the Bernabeu has contributed to Bellingham's mammoth market value of €250m (£216m), according to CIES Football Observatory, representing a colossal increase on what United could have signed him for during Solskjaer's reign.
How good is Jude Bellingham?
That lofty valuation – which ranks the youngster alongside the likes of Haaland and Vinicius Jr. as the world's highest-value players – further proves just what a talent Bellingham is, with compatriot Phil Foden having only recently tipped him to become the "best midfielder in the world".
For United to have such a talent on their books would have been a total dream, with it perhaps not too hyperbolic to suggest that he could have even blossom into a bigger star than the club's current skipper, Bruno Fernandes – a man valued at just €80m £70m).
The Portuguese magician has of course been a shining light for the Red Devils in recent years with 121 goal involvements in 191 games in all competitions to date, yet the trajectory of Bellingham's career may be even more exciting – with Fernandes having been plying his trade for Udinese when in his early 20's.
Even in the current campaign, the 29-year-old has scored just once and provided only two assists from his six appearances, having been unable to hit the same heights that his counterpart has achieved in the Spanish capital.
There is perhaps a world in which the two men could have lined up together in the midfield ranks at Old Trafford, although alas, United will have to just hope and pray that they are in a position to fight for Bellingham's signature if and when he does eventually leave Madrid.
As is clear, however, any future deal is likely to cost a fair bit more than just £25m…